A Love Tone Circuit: Symphonic Love Buds
by Mavarta
Summary: When the buds of love begins to grow even the trickster who less understood in music is able to hear the symphony of the love buds. In what tempo will he take the symphony?
1. Prologue

**Hajimemashite, Mavarta-desu.**

**This is my first fan fiction featuring Rikkai's trickster of the court...**

**Please kindly read and leave a review. Because this is my first fan fiction...I may have a lot of things to work on...**

**So the constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated, though you can also write me that you like the story or not...just tell me what's on your mind...**

**Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi-sensei, I only own my OCs and the plot...  
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><p><strong>A Love Tone Circuit: Symphonic Love Buds<strong>

**PROLOGUE**

_If I tell you that I have a special feeling toward you_

_What will you do?_

_What will you give as an answer to my questions?_

_If I tell you that I have a crush on you_

_Will you listen to me?_

_If I tell you that like you_

_Will you still stay by my side like you always do?_

_If I tell you that I miss you in every single night_

_Will you burst in laugh as if it was a joke?_

_If I tell you that I fell in love_

_Will you play along as if it was a prank?_

_If I tell you that I truly is in love with you_

_Will you take my hand and answer to my feeling in the way that I always dream about…?_

What if…

What if I…

What if you…

What if we…

Those sentences hanged in the mind of a certain boy who currently seat on his desk with his feet on the seat in front of him. He sighed while staring out through the window. In his mind, a thought of a certain girl is teasing him and makes him let out another sigh. He placed his chin on his right hand palm and directed his eyes to the floor in front of him. With his mind traveled elsewhere.

Here comes the time when he attempts to try to tell his feelings to a certain someone. His mind keeps on thinking about the possibility that may happen.

What if, what if, what if…..

He's still hesitating on his plan. But he knew that he can't just sit and watch of what will happen. He will never be able to convey his feeling if he doesn't make a clear step to shut his distance with her. He knew that she has the same kind of feeling with him. But he feels rather confuse on how she actually acts towards him. This girl deadpanned. She shows emotion at a time and no emotion at the other time, although she actually knew how she can't deceive this boy who attempt to get close to her as more than just a piece of the past, as someone more than friend.

This kind of thought has crossed his mind 2 years ago. When he was still a freshman, this thought crossed his mind and he decided to tell his feeling to a certain girl who attracts his attention. But this thought shattered his heart into pieces and leave him wounded as he tells her how he feels about her. The wound opened in his heart drives him to start a chain of love adventure with several girls until he met this girl. A girl who always deadpanned after noticing every prank he played. A girl who still befriending with him although that she also puts a barrier between them. A girl who always show him that she has no feeling but at the same time show him the same kind of feeling he has for her.

But he is afraid now, afraid that the same thing will happen again, afraid that the same kind of feeling will be shattered into pieces again.

Again, he sighed and then closed his eyes. After a while closing his eyes, he stood up and walked out from the empty classroom with the certain thought in his mind.

'_If I never make a move….I will never know what will happen. I need to convey my feeling, no matter what will happen after that. I need to tell her that I miss her in every single time I can't be with her….I need to tell her that I cherish her in every single thing she does….I need her to know that I am unconditionally fell in love with her….'_

_A genuine smile that he never shows everyone rose on his lips as an idea pop inside his head._

_'Wait. I know exactly what to do. Just wait there. I'll make you show me more of your feeling for me.'_

_He ran through the corridor to meet someone that might be helpful in accomplishing his idea. He knew that someone he's about to meet will not refuse, not with the kind of reason in his mind. His smile grew wider._

_'Yes, I can do this….!'_


	2. Motif 1: The Spring of the Third Years

**The first chapter or I prefer to call it first motif. I added the beginning part of the chapter and edited in some parts, it is longer than the previous version and I hope it will be easier to understand...**

**As I told you in the previous chapter, I am hoping for the constructive criticisms although that you can tell me whatever cross your mind while you are reading this motif one.**

**Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi-sensei and I only own my OCs and the plot.**

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><p><strong>A Love Tone Circuit: Symphonic Love Buds<strong>

**MOTIF 1: The Spring of the Third Years**

Opening his eyes, Niou Masaharu found his sister pestering his sweet dream with a certain girl. He stared at her, not doing anything. He saw his sister lips are muttering about things he couldn't hear or understand yet. He blinked his eyes slowly as he still feel sleepy and his ears still refuse to deliver what they hear to the brain. He's still wanted to sleep for a while; he's still wanted to be in his land of dream.

"Wait, Masaharu? Are you listening?"

"Hmm….?" He finally responded to his sister, lifting his head a few centimeters from the pillow. But he still has the sleepy and lazy look on his face. His thought filled with the same land of dream.

"You are not listening!" Niou Hibiki stood in front of her younger brother with her hands on her hips. She snorted as her brother place his head back on the pillow and continues his journey to his dream land. Being ignored, Hibiki pinch the bridge of her brother's nose and count.

One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine… … … she kept on counting until her younger brother finally got up from his slumber and gasping for air. She smiled in a satisfaction.

"So…you're alive?" She put her hands on her hips again. She tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

"Hrrgh….it's still morning you know….stop bothering me…." He said between the gasp.

"Indeed it is morning and if you have forgotten, today is supposed to be the first day of the new academic year…." Hibiki replied.

"New…..academic…..year…..Oh crap….."

Hibiki shook her head as her brother dash into the bathroom and get ready for school. She followed him to the bathroom to tell him that there is a sandwich that he can eat while he is on his way to his school.

"Don't forget to take them! You know breakfast is important! And don't forget to lock the house properly too…..you know that…"

"Oh shut up! You sound like mother…..I'll do it okay?" Hibiki words got cut as her brother, Masaharu starts to feel annoyed and shout at her from the bathroom.

"Very well…..I'm leaving now….." Hibiki sighed and turn away from the bathroom door to finally head to her school after checking her appearance once again on a mirror at the porch.

Not long after Hibiki left the house, Niou Masaharu makes a quick school preparation, stuffing several books into his racket bag and dash out of the house after locking it. He left with a sandwich in his mouth. On his way to school, he made a stop at a vending machine to buy a canned coffee to help him swallow the sandwich and cease the sleepiness.

He finally arrived at school a few minutes before the bell rings. He smiled slightly as his eyes catch a sight of a girl he's being dreamed about lately.

'_There you are….'_ His smile grew wider as he follows her.

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><p>The spring's air is overflowing with the sakura petals that beautifully dancing with the wind before they reach the ground. The second year and the third year students are busy checking on the class assignments. There is the pleasant feeling about starting the new year of school, the excitement of having the new class with maybe one or two familiar faces. Rikkai University Junior High School is currently filled with chattering here and there, singing the simple crowds.<p>

Ayatsuji Shion walked in the corridor while smiling and greeting several familiar faces. Her steps are stopped right in front of the class 3-B. This class looks quite crowded with some girls from the other classes as well as the 3-B itself. The 3-B girls seemed very excited with the fact that they will be in the same classroom with two of three most popular boys in school. Shion already knew it from the list of the third year classroom but still she's trying to take a peek. She adjusted her height with the tiptoed but she suddenly lost her balance and make herself fell into a group of girls in front of her.

"Ooops….my bad…." Niou Masaharu smirked as he saw the poor girl fell.

"Geez….what are doing Niou-kun….?" Shion asked him while fixing herself and apologizing to several girls she fell on.

"Nothing, just touching you a little…." Niou shrugged and walked by a few steps closer.

"You mean a little nudge! Right….?"

"Puri~"

Shion could only sigh seeing the familiar smirk of the trickster. She's about to opened her mouth when a group of girls started to gather around Niou and tell him how glad they are being in the same classroom with him. She sighed again and made a turn heading to her classroom. She made one last turn over the certain trickster as he walked into his class being tailed by several girls. She smiled slightly, she can't help but thinking how the beginning of a new academic year always filled with the certain excitement. The excitement that makes the spring filled with more happiness and more beautiful with more flowers blossom.

In her classroom, Shion found that it is a little bit quiet compare the rather crowded neighbor classroom despite the fact that the most popular boy is actually listed as one of its students. Shion took a glance at her seat, a seat in the middle of the second front row, a perfect seat to always stay focus in every subject. She looked around the classroom looking for the familiar face but she found no one. The only person she knew is the certain captain of Rikkai tennis club who currently absent due his neurological disease.

'_Hmmm….this is my third years and it looks like there are still this many people I don't know….well….this school has more students more than what I know….'_

She noticed a girl sits right next to her seat and decides to greet her. After a little chat with her, Shion went to the back of the class to place her bag in a locker before she walks herself around the class for a small self introduction to her new classmates. The introduction went easier due Shion's friendly nature and some of her new classmates notice her as the best student in music subject. She has already involved with the light chattering with some of her new classmates when her homeroom teacher calls her students to line up at the corridor.

'_New class with new classmates doesn't sound bad at all….but still….I wish I could have been in the same homeroom with him….'_

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><p>Niou had just found his seat in the back of the class. While putting his bag in a locker he took a glance at the entire classroom. He found himself be in the same class with the certain red headed self proclaimed genius who currently chattering with several boys and girls in the class. There is same group of girls who he had met before expressing the same happiness they just showed to Niou a moment ago. The girls seemed to be very excited. No, they are super excited as they looked to be overreacting.<p>

Some boys in the corner are sighing as they saw the view. What a lively class, early in the morning and they already feel like they are currently in a fish market. How envious, as the tennis club's regulars, Marui and Niou seemed to be the center of attention in the class although that it will gradually reduce along with the passing of time. The boys in the corner sighed and shook their heads. Those girls are definitely overreacting.

Niou had successfully shooed some people who greeted him for expressing their happiness or simply introducing themselves. With a carefree attitude, Niou seated in his seat while watching Marui with his usual self still chattering with the same group of people. His mouth is never stopped from chewing the bubblegum.

'_The self proclaim genius with his never-change attitude, why can't I have her in my class instead of him?'_ thought Niou as he stood up to response the call of his homeroom teacher.

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><p>To some students in most school, the opening ceremony may felt as a troublesome thing filled with only the boring speech of the headmaster and the student representative. But for the students of Rikkai University Junior High School, the speech of the headmaster is not something to be ignored. Yoshizawa Tsutomu is a smart guy who gave the attractive speech with the sense of humor that being loved by the students. There is no student ignoring him, all of them listening to him in the formal manner but still relax as they can laugh sometimes.<p>

As the opening ceremony is over, the students headed back to their classes and proceeding with the extended homeroom program which is intended to choose the class representative and member of each committee. As the election of the school committee over and getting a student to be in each committee, the class is finally dismissed. On her way to the gate of the school Ayatsuji Shion decided to take a route that allows her to pass near the tennis courts. She wished to be able to take a little time watched over a boy known as the trickster before she went home.

Noticing that the tennis courts are unusually quiet, she took herself closer to the tennis courts while taking a look around her. The clubhouse seemed to be quiet too, it seemed like nobody is currently present. Shion stood only a step away from the fence surrounding the tennis courts. How unusual, to see the tennis club's territory looked this quiet. Lost in her thought, Shion doesn't even notice someone is currently standing behind her, watching her in silence.

"Kyaaaa…!" she screamed and jumped aside as she felt someone blew her nape. She turned to look at the person who blew her a moment ago and found Niou smirked in amusement. She startled but the smirk on Niou's face somehow makes her calmer. Weird.

"Seriously Ayatsuji….I didn't expect you to scream that loud…."

"Hmm…."

"You should've seen your face, it's amusing…."

"Hmm….?" Ayatsuji raised one of her eyebrows and stared at him with an expressionless face while Niou still preserved his smirk.

One second….Two seconds….Three seconds….Four seconds….Five seconds….

There seemed to be no changes on Shion's face, still a deadpanned. Still with a smirk on his face, Niou stepped closer to the deadpanned Shion. The girl wished that she could stay deadpanned but her instinct tells her to step backwards as Niou gets close to her.

"What are you doing?" She asked still stepping backwards.

"Who knows….?"

His smirk, his ignorant gaze somewhat made him looks like a devil playing around with his prey in the palm of his hands. Shion couldn't take her eyes off of him. She felt like Niou had made her his prey, trapped between the fence and him. She couldn't escape as Niou placed his hands on the fence to the both sides of her.

"Say….Ayatsuji, should I force you to make another face of amusement?" Niou spoken as his face is only an inch away from Shion's.

"It's your amusement not mine!"

"Should I….?"

"Huh?"

'_What is he thinking? What is he talking about? What should I do now? What should I do now?'_

Her mind seemed to work slower when her heart beats so fast. Her eyes widened, Niou is getting closer yet she has not yet decides on what she supposed to do. The fence is too hard to get through and pushing Niou away doesn't sound as a smart idea too. Somehow, she closed her eyes. Time felt so long to pass even if it's only a second. How many time had past? Shion didn't know it, she still closing her eyes, waiting and waiting.

She closed her eyes until she felt the warm breath close to her ears and hears the whisper, "Did you really think that I'm about to kiss you Ayatsuji….?"

'_What….did he just say?'_

Niou pulled himself away from her with one of his hands still on the fence and the other one in his pocket. He smirked, looking at Shion whose face is lowered by embarrassment.

"No matter what pranks you do this is way too overboard….Niou-kun…." She finally spoke in a gloomy tone.

STOMP!

"Ouch!"

Niou felt a pain from a stomp on his feet. He saw Shion running away from him without saying anymore words.

'_What is he thinking? I don't understand….what's on his mind….'_ Shion finally reached the gate. Panting, she tried to remove what happened early. She putted one of her hands on her chest, feeling her heart beats so fast, a slight blush colored her face.

'_Why did he do that? Didn't he know that is bad for my health? I could have a heart attack!'_

"What am I thinking? He was playing prank didn't he? Ayatsuji Shion….you fool…how could you act like you have no escape?" She muttered to herself. She's angry, not to Niou but to herself. She's angry to herself for being as plain as a piece of paper, a piece of paper with her feeling written all over it. After calming herself, Shion took her usual route heading to her home with her mind still filled with the same thought.

Across the road, a brown haired boy is watching her walking away as he adjusting his glasses.

"Plan number one succeeded." He muttered as a smirk grows on his face.


	3. Motif 2: Avoidance

**This is the chapter 2 or motif 2, the latest chapter of the story. If you have read this story before the motif 2 is finally out, would you please read the previous chapters too? The prologue and motif 1? I made several changes there...but it's okay if you don't want to because the story still not change...**

**In this motif 2, you will meet the two other OCs, Furuori Takumi and Hongou Setsuna.**

**As I always say and ask of you readers...I am look forward for the constructive criticisms although you can also tell me whether you like the story, chapter or anything crosses your mind...**

**Allow me to thank you Rainbowlalaland and EcstaticPetenshi for the review...I really appreciate it and I will try to improve the story and my writing skill as well...^^**

**Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi-sensei and only own my OCs and the plot.  
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><p><strong>A Love Tone Circuit: Symphonic Love Buds<strong>

**MOTIF 2: Avoidance**

The sound of the violin is stopped all of a sudden after a mistake. Shion sighed as her mind still playing the same incident as it is a video. She decided to end her violin practice as she is not able to focus on her practice. She threw herself upon the bed and lay on it with the back of her left hand on her forehead, the same thought still haunting her. She tried to get it out of her head by playing the violin but it failed. How unusual for her violin practice failed to make her forget about the incident that keep playing inside of her head.

Shion rolled her body on the bed from side to side, "Argh…I can't get it out of my head…damn it!" She continued mumbling about what happen after school, cursing and scolding her self.

"How unusual….getting distracted while playing violin…." A tone with no expression came out of a boy who seated beside the bed where Shion is currently laying.

"I know….right…."

"…"

"Wait a minute, what are you doing here?" Shion asked her cousin, Furuori Takumi as she found him in a very comfortable seating position while his hands busy flipping the pages of magazine.

"Isn't it obvious? I am browsing the magazine here…." Nonchalantly replied, the boy still is flipping the pages of the magazine without even bother taking a look at Shion who have a rather not pleased expression on her face.

"Don't get in a girl's room without her permission, no matter that you are a relative you are still a boy! You should've knocked the door first! You know that…."

"I knocked…! You're the one who didn't listen! And it's not my fault that you didn't hear me!" He pouted, cutting Shion's words and abandoning the magazine as Shion seems to continue her speech of how a boy should never walk inside a girl's room without knocking and permission.

"It's not my fault that you're in a foul mood right now….it's that Niou guy's fault!" A cheeky grin is shown on the face of the younger boy as he saw a surprise shown on Shion's face.

"You….why….how…."

"I know everything….say….Shion-neesan….just how it feels getting stuck in 'that' kind of situation?" He continued still with a cheeky grin displayed on his face.

"How…how did you…"

"How did I know about it? You're the one who told me that…."

"Huh?" Shion dazed, "Wait! I didn't tell you anything!"

"Yes you did…."

"When?"

"Just a moment ago…." The younger boy replied flatly. Shion still seemed to be confused since she was sure that she didn't say a word about what happen after school to anybody. So how did this cheeky cousin of hers know about it? She stared at him, thinking.

"What? You don't remember? Just a moment ago you're mumbling about it."

Those words were flat and hit the spot. Shion's eyes widened, she gasped as she realize that she was mumbling about it, and while she's mumbling, she didn't realize the presence of her cousin.

"TAKUMI…..You…you…you eavesdropping!" she pointed her cousin who immediately look not pleased.

"Look, I maybe eavesdropped but it was your fault for mumbling in the level of sound that can be heard clearly even if you are standing in the porch."

Shion's eyes widened again, so much to her surprise, _'What? I mumbled that loud?'_

"Too bad that kiss didn't happen….although that you wished so much for it…."

Shion's face turned red as those words were said. She's feeling caught up by those words and her cousin's cheeky grin which is returned a moment ago.

"Not….much. I didn't wish that much…." She said while grabbing Takumi's shoulder as he walk out of the room. She had her face staring at the floor and looks very gloomy.

Takumi stopped and look back at his cousin, "But you still wish for it, right? It's not a wrong thing you know…." Takumi walked out of the room with a carefree attitude but then stopped just in front of the door, "Oh right, Mom said, dinner is ready….and don't worry about 'it'….I won't tell anyone. If you….you….you know what I mean…..right….?"

Shion lifted her face to look at Takumi who's still displaying his cheeky grin that felt pretty much like a devil's grin to Shion. She sighed, she gave up. There is no way that this boy with the devil's grin displayed on his face take a no as an answer.

"Fine…." She finally replied. She could see Takumi is skipping on his way to the dining room; his cheeky offer has won again. Shion sighed again and walk to the dining room as she closed her room's door. After the cheeky deal with her cousin, she will have to set aside some of her allowance to treat her cheeky cousin. She sighed. In her mind now, Shion is thinking about what kind of facial expression she will show when she meets Niou at school tomorrow.

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><p>Shion had not finished her thought of facial expression when she finally reached the school building. She kept herself to chant her wish of not meeting Niou just yet, she's not ready. If they did meet early in the morning she will definitely don't know what to do. Shion took a different route to reach the shoe lockers. Shion carefully observed her last part of her extraordinary route to the shoe lockers. She started to walk with an extra caution. Everything seemed to work as her plan until she reaches the eastern garden near the school's greenhouse. She was just a few steps from the greenhouse as she startled from hearing a voice.<p>

"Ayatsuji-san….?"

Shion gasped, feeling surprised. But she relieved that the voice doesn't sound like a boy's voice. She turned her head slowly to take a look at the owner of the voice.

"What are you doing here? Why are you skulking?" The owner of that voice asked her again. Who wouldn't ask? If there is a girl skulking around her own school as if she is a thief? Although that the day is too bright for a thievery.

"Aaah…..Hongou-san…..good morning….." An awkward greeting came out of Shion's lips along with an awkward smile that obviously gain a no expression gaze from a girl she called Hongou. Seeing the expression not changed, Shion continued, "Please don't look at me like that….."

"Only if you give me a proper reason….." The Hongou girl replied flatly.

"Aaah….well….I….I…. I'm practicing for a paintball game ahahaha…!" Shion exclaimed giving a random reason and show a stupid grin on her face. She realized that her answer is stupid later because there is no change of expression on Hongou's face and decided to add, "You know, you have to always be cautious while you are playing!" Shion gave an innocent look and ignore the fact that her answer might be not proper enough.

"Well, whatever….but you look….suspicious….if other people see you, they might think that you are some kind of thief or even worse….they might think that you are some kind of terrorist….although that you are wearing our school's uniform."

"Eehhh….?"

"Seriously, Ayatsuji-san. You can really causing a misunderstanding with your current act…." Hongou added.

"I understand…. I'm sorry…." Shion bowed her head apologetically. This Hongou girl shook her head; somehow she has the superior aura when something comes to her dislike. Shion felt uneasy.

"Just make sure you'll not doing it again….now now, let's go. Class is about to start…." Hongou walked and Shion followed her and takes no objection to what Hongou was said to her, she didn't want to debate early in the morning especially not with Hongou Setsuna, a stoic ladylike girl who always keep her pride high by always act in prideful manner.

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><p>School for today was over and it was time to go home. But Shion seemed to be hesitating within her every step. This girl acted suspiciously for the entire time in a day. She didn't even count how many times that she has been in the same mode neither she cares about the people who watch her in curiosity as her mind is too focus in avoiding Niou.<p>

Hongou Setsuna can only sigh seeing her new classmate. She shook her head in disbelief, Shion is too suspicious. She thought that she will let her off the hook this morning but she must see the same act goes for almost all day long from the same girl named Ayatsuji Shion. She frowned, obviously doesn't understand with how Shion's act through the day. She watched Shion gasped and hide after spotting someone. From her observation, Shion always try to hide from a certain silver haired boy who known as the trickster of the court, Niou Masaharu.

Shion sneakily used a mirror to see if Niou has already left from the last time Shion spotted him. After ensuring that Niou has really gone, she finally got out of the hide and sigh in relieve. She took her time to look around as the final check; she has never known how avoiding someone can make her feel so restless. She put the mirror back into her bag and finally left in a hurry. She didn't realize Hongou Setsuna is still frowning while watching her walk away.

A question crossed Setsuna's mind, _'That is...avoidance and what exactly Niou has done to that girl that makes her utterly avoiding him? Something must have happened; I have to find out….'_


End file.
